This blog is for planning your WDW and DCL vacations, especially with kids! There are so many things you can do to get your kids more excited about their Disney vacation before they even leave the house! I'm also the co-owner of Spoonful of Magic Travel specializing in Disney vacations and other destinations. Email me at Carrie@aspoonfulofmagictravel.com for a free quote.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

My mom is no doubt the main contributor to my Disney addiction! Last summer, (June 2012) she took me, my daughter, sister in law and niece to Disney World and paid for all of it except food and gas. So, when she brought up going again this summer, (June 2013) I was in complete shock! Unfortunately, my sister in law, niece and nephew (she was pregnant with him during our June 2012 trip) couldn't come this year. She paid for the majority of the trip once again so I wanted to do something to thank her and make the countdown fun for her. My daughter and I snuck into her house and sent her on a scavenger hunt. At the end of the hunt were 6 gifts. We goof around a lot and have several inside jokes, so the majority of the gifts had another story to them that I'll try to explain.

The main poster to hang on her front door and all of the scavenger hunt clues

I bought these ears on our last trip in November. I have matching ones.

We are staying in a pirate room at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, so I thought the hat and map would get her in the pirate mood.

This is an umbrella hat to remind us to bring ponchos. On our June 2012 vacation, we got POURED on at Animal Kingdom. We had to stay in the bathroom because cast members would not let us stay under the Camp Minnie-Mickey character greeting shelters due to lightning. We were pretty inconvenienced when that happened because the bathrooms were absolutely packed. Above is a picture from last year of myself soaked (and my daughter making a silly face) from having to leave the character greeting shelters and try to maneuver our way into the crowds outside the bathroom. Vacation Tip: ALWAYS bring a poncho!

The snorkel gear is another inside joke. In 2007, I treated my mom to a day at Discovery Cove (shhh....don't tell Disney). Well, 99% of people have no trouble snorkeling and using the mouthpiece. I guess it's because we feel a lack of control because we both can't snorkel with a mouthpiece. Above is a picture of my mom at Discovery Cove "snorkeling" minus the snorkel....

I found these capri Disney pajama pants at Walmart for around $11. I got matching ones and they were very comfortable. That was probably her most favorite and usable gift.

Yet another inside joke. This one is pretty funny, I think. Last September, Mom took a few things to sell to a consignment store. This particular consignment store was unusually picky and were turning down quite a few items that my mom brought to sell. We were shopping in the store while they were going through her things and one of the workers called her back and notified her that they couldn't sell the blanket (the one on the left) because it belonged to an airline. My mom was a bit embarrassed because I don't think she even knew she took it from the airplane. She had to take the blanket back to her house and find a purpose for it. A few months later, the blanket made it's appearance. I got it as a Christmas gift in hopes that this would be something that would be regifted and regifted and regifted. Well, her hopes came true. But, just in case she wasn't allowed to bring that blanket on the plane, I got her another blanket to use instead.

Above are all of the gifts.

The sign on her front door. My daughter was so excited to hide all of the clues before her Grandmama got home from work. Luckily, we made out in plenty of time.

All the clues led to a closet where all of the gifts were waiting for her.

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Here are some of the pictures she took and texted me each day she opened a new one!